Europe, the Holocaust & Today’s Anti-Semitism

It is not surprising to see an increase in Jew-hatred in western Europe.

Why are so many of the grandchildren of Nazis and Nazi collaborators who brought us the Holocaust once again declaring war on the Jews? Why have we seen such an increase in anti-Semitism and irrationally virulent anti-Zionism in western Europe?

To answer these questions, a myth must first be exposed. That myth is the one perpetrated by the French, the Dutch, the Norwegians, the Swiss, the Belgians, the Austrians, and many other western Europeans: namely that the Holocaust was solely the work of German Nazis aided perhaps by some Polish, Ukrainian, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian collaborators.

False.

The Holocaust was perpetrated by Europeans: by Nazi sympathizers and collaborators among the French, Dutch, Norwegians, Swiss, Belgians, Austrians and other Europeans, both Western and Eastern.

If the French government had not deported to the death camps more Jews than their German occupiers asked for; if so many Dutch and Belgian citizens and government officials had not cooperated in the roundup of Jews; if so many Norwegians had not supported Quisling; if Swiss government officials and bankers had not exploited Jews; if Austria had not been more Nazi than the Nazis, the Holocaust would not have had so many Jewish victims.

In light of the widespread European complicity in the destruction of European Jewry, the pervasive anti-Semitism and irrationally hateful anti-Zionism that has recently surfaced throughout western Europe toward Israel should surprise no one.

"Oh no," we hear from European apologists. "This is different. We don’t hate the Jews. We only hate their nation-state. Moreover, the Nazis were right-wing. We’re left-wing, so we can’t be anti-Semites."

Nonsense.

The hard left has a history of anti-Semitism as deep and enduring as the hard right. The line from Voltaire to Karl Marx, to Levrenti Beria, to Robert Faurisson, to today’s hard-left Israel bashers is as straight as the line from Wilhelm Mars to the persecutors of Alfred Dreyfus to Hitler.

The Jews of Europe have always been crushed between the Black and the Red – victims of extremism whether it be the ultra-nationalism of Khmelnitsky to the ultra-anti-Semitism of Stalin.

"But some of the most strident anti-Zionists are Jews, such as Norman Finkelstein and even Israelis such as Gilad Atzmon. Surely they can’t be anti-Semites?"

Why not? Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas collaborated with the Gestapo. Atzmon, a hard leftist, describes himself as a proud self-hating Jew and admits that his ideas derive from a notorious anti-Semite.

He denies that the Holocaust is historically proved but he believes that Jews may well have killed Christian children to use their blood to bake Passover matzah. And he thinks it's "rational" to burn down synagogues.

Finkelstein believes in an international Jewish conspiracy that includes Steven Spielberg, Leon Uris, Eli Wiesel, and Andrew Lloyd Webber!

"But Israel is doing bad things to the Palestinians," the European apologists insist, "and we are sensitive to the plight of the underdog."

No, you’re not! Where are your demonstrations on behalf of the oppressed Tibetans, Georgians, Syrians, Armenians, Kurds, or even Ukrainians? Where are your BDS movements against the Chinese, the Russians, the Cubans, the Turks, or the Assad regime?

Only the Palestinians, only Israel? Why? Not because the Palestinians are more oppressed than these and other groups.

Only because their alleged oppressors are Jews and the nation-state of the Jews. Would there be demonstrations and BDS campaigns on behalf of the Palestinians if they were oppressed by Jordan or Egypt?

Oh, wait! The Palestinians were oppressed by Egypt and Jordan. Gaza was an open-air prison between 1948 and 1967, when Egypt was the occupying power. And remember Black September, when Jordan killed more Palestinians than Israel did in a century? I don’t remember any demonstration or BDS campaigns – because there weren’t any.

When Arabs occupy or kill Arabs, Europeans go ho-hum. But when Israel opens a soda factory in Maale Adumim, which even the Palestinian leadership acknowledges will remain part of Israel in any peace deal, Oxfam parts ways with Scarlett Johansson for advertising a soda company that employs hundreds of Palestinians.

Keep in mind that Oxfam has provided "aid and material support" to two anti-Israel terrorist groups, according to the Tel Aviv-based Israeli Law Group.

The hypocrisy of so many hard-left western Europeans would be staggering if it were not so predictable based on the sordid history of western Europe’s treatment of the Jews.

Even England, which was on the right side of the war against Nazism, has a long history of anti-Semitism, beginning with the expulsion of the Jews in 1290 to the notorious White Paper of 1939, which prevented the Jews of Europe from seeking asylum from the Nazis in British-mandated Palestine. And Ireland, which vacillated in the war against Hitler, boasts some of the most virulent anti-Israel rhetoric.

The simple reality is that one cannot understand the current western European left-wing war against the nation-state of the Jewish people without first acknowledging the long-term European war against the Jewish people themselves.

Herzl: The only solution to Europe’s Jewish problem was for Jews to leave and return to their original homeland.

Theodore Herzl understood the pervasiveness and irrationality of European anti-Semitism, which led him to the conclusion that the only solution to Europe’s Jewish problem was for European Jews to leave that bastion of Jew hatred and return to their original homeland, which is now the state of Israel.

None of this is to deny Israel’s imperfections or the criticism it justly deserves for some of its policies. But these imperfections and deserved criticism cannot even begin to explain, must less justify, the disproportionate hatred directed against the only nation-state of the Jewish people and the disproportionate silence regarding the far greater imperfections and deserved criticism of other nations and groups including the Palestinians.

Nor is this to deny that many western European individuals and some western European countries have refused to succumb to the hatred against the Jews or their state. The Czech Republic comes to mind. But far too many western Europeans are as irrational in their hatred toward Israel as their forbearers were in their hatred toward their Jewish neighbours.

As author Amos Oz once aptly observed: the walls of his grandparents' Europe were covered with graffiti saying, "Jews, go to Palestine." Now they say, "Jews, get out of Palestine " – by which is meant Israel.

Who do these western European bigots think they’re fooling? Only fools who want to be fooled in the interest of denying that they are manifesting new variations on their grandparents' old biases.

Any objective person with an open mind, open eyes, and an open heart must see the double standard being applied to the nation-state of the Jewish people. Many doing so are the grandchildren of those who lethally applied a double standard to the Jews of Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. They must be shamed into looking themselves in the mirror of morality and acknowledging their own bigotry.

Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter professor of law at Harvard Law School, served as an attorney in several high-profile court cases, and is a sought-after commentator on the Arab–Israeli conflict. He is the author of some 25 books, including The Case for Israel.

Israel is created by Europe and Europe's fault.We; European non-jews can lie and cry all we want:Criticizing Israel without advocating a simple solution for a peaceful Jewish state on European soil is Antisemitism and downright genocidal towards Jews and suicidal in the end.Declaring ourselves Jewish in name alone even can make Europe become politically correct FOR REAL and more multicultural, but not interesting to most.Europe's left and right, certainly most muslims do not have the slightest inventiveness nor the will to make their past and present wrongs right.The future EUrabian wars will set things right because there are many other enemies to find or make up in the rotten European and Islamic hearts and minds.

(22)
isaac Gamiel,
June 30, 2014 4:19 AM

sounds very much like words spoken by Meir Kahane

Dear Mr Dershowitz, I wonder if you are aware of your views on European Antisemitism sounding very much like the views of Herzl, Meir Kahaneh, Ben Hecht to name but a few.Israel may have more to worry from Amos Oz and his leftist ilk than all the anti semites. These are the Amalekim among us

(21)
Albert Hache,
June 28, 2014 3:20 PM

That’s what Israel is expected to look like.

I was outraged by a video on you tube showing two Palestinian children aggressively poking, taunting and ridiculing a tall and heavily armed Israeli soldier The poor guy was totally powerless. (imagine doing that to a Chinese or any other soldier). That’s what Israel is expected to look like.Although the average man reacts more like a beast and is not appreciative of intelligence, and although such article has better impact when written by a non-Jew, it's good that great Jewish minds such as Mr. Deshowitz's apply themselves to make the problem of Anti-Semitism more intelligible, but it was not necessary for him to add that “we should not deny Israel’s imperfections or the criticism it justly deserves for some of its policies.”A more humane army was never seen before. It used rubber bullets against a treacherous enemy who is jealous, hates its people and only wishes to annihilate them. Israel does a lot of good humanitarian work, it takes care of many of it's enemies' medical and other needs, etc. Israel would be quite a different country if it were surrounded by friends. It's policies are not determined by Israelis but by their enemies and a politically correct world who would not even be happy if Israelis used chocolate bullets .

(20)
David,
June 26, 2014 10:30 PM

Always impressive, Mr. Dershowitz

The writer is an eloquent and powerful advocate, and Israel is fortunate to have Mr. Dershowitz on her side. But his curative prescription for anti-Semitism, shame, could never work.

It's an elementary Torah concept that a uniting trait of those who align themselves against the Jews are numbed to that emotion.

(19)
Laszlo,
June 26, 2014 10:29 PM

The case is clear

Dear Mr. Dershowitz and All the Reader,He is right but if you have chance look the first Holocaust celebration in Auswitz, An old Jew from Poland before all the leaders of the world told the same. Something changed? The paradox is that the people whom they defending want also their land but this is not also for our favor. We have to hope the best

(18)
Shmuel,
June 26, 2014 9:48 PM

Preaching to the choir

Unfortunately, the only ones seeing and actually reading this article are not the ones who need it. The question is how to combat the vast and overwhelming propaganda about Jews in the world? Or is that a losing cause? How then to sit with the fear of what (g-d forbid) is to come?

(17)
Alan S.,
June 26, 2014 4:08 PM

Dr. Dershkowitz always writes beautifully and smartly.

Please keep up with the astute analysis.

(16)
Anonymous,
June 25, 2014 4:36 PM

It saddens me that you think there is a lot of anti Semitism in England. I hope you realise there are many people that would stand by the Jewish nation. The greatest inspiration in my life was Jewish and I will never forget the words of wisdom he shared with me as a Christian.

David,
June 26, 2014 10:10 PM

England is part of the confederacy of nations enabling Iran to secure nukes with which to destroy Israel

How could you think your country is other than anti-Semitic when it exerts public diplomacy efforts to prevent pre-emption of an existential threat to Israel? Your country sent boatloads of Jewish refugees to their deaths in Germany. England helped force Israel to cease responding to terrorist rocket attacks. If there are Christians in England that "would" stand by the Jewish nation, then why haven't they?

(15)
Sharon,
June 25, 2014 11:39 AM

missing one point

This is a well written article making many cogent arguments, but one point is missing. Though I do not claim that Israel is perfect, in the Israel Arab conflict, the Jews are the victim. The moment Arab aggression ceases, so ends the conflict. Look at 1929 when Jews and Arabs lived as friendly neighbors in the city of Hebron. One day those good friends, Arabs motivated by religious zeal, came and chopped off heads an other body parts of their friends. The Jews accepted 1947 Partition, Arabs wanted the whole pie. Arab States hoped to decimate all Jews in 1967, but it back-fired. And the world would like us to go back to those indefensible borders, relying on miracles for our survival. No . They don't even deny that their goal is to destroy us. Bottom line, there's a perpetrator and a victim, and the world doesn't seem to see which is which.

(14)
Remi Lessore,
June 25, 2014 9:39 AM

not the hard left

Beware labelling anti-Semitism a hard right or a hard left phenomenon. These are largely discredited ideologies even if some vocal and virulent people still subscribe. In my experience, especially when it is a matter of anti-Zionism this is more of a liberal bien-pensant phenomenon. As such, the problem is far more widespread than the article allows, and harder to deal with, since it is not a matter of a few Neanderthals with hammers and spray paint. The idea of Israel as a repressive force and the wilful ignorance that it is the only functioning democracy in the region that guarantees religious rights is entirely prevalent. Israel is losing the PR war and needs to address that.

anon,
June 26, 2014 6:05 PM

seems lost already to conventional arguments

In kedusha of mussaf on shobbos, it says:

"...and He, in in His mercy, will cause us to hear, a 2nd time, before the eyes of all the living... "To be to you for a G-d"

[which seems to be a reference to the 1st of the 10 commandments beingpublicly repeated as a world wide revelation]

I'm starting to think that nothing less than that has a chance

that, or some major changes in our behavior(apparently PR won't do it)

that being said, we still may have toknow the arguments to be able toreach even our own people,because, they're buying intothese arguments as well

(13)
Elisheva,
June 25, 2014 8:34 AM

A spiritual and moral evil

Anti-Semitism is different from other forms of racism, because it's not simply a prejudice but is clearly a spiritual and moral evil. As other commentators have noted, the main "crime" of the Jewish people is to draw the attention of the world to the existence of an eternal, moral law-giving G-d. Today, many, both Jews and Gentiles, would prefer to forget that the Heavenly Judge exists, and instead they try to live their lives according to their own immoral desires. The Jewish people's continued existence is a painful reminder that this is not a good idea. And Jewish people are being "punished" for being the bearers of those very moral laws which are all that prevent the world from descending into barbarity - as indeed is happening today in many places. Especially in Europe and the Arab countries which most exemplify anti-Semitism.

(12)
Miriam Pschak,
June 25, 2014 8:25 AM

Awful

It is so sick that you only feel like vomiting. Now I come tounderstand how helpless the Jews felt when they had the confrontation with anti-Semitism. It is our all mistake to expectsome reasonable behaviour and activities from the politicianssince even when children are being captured they will not react. "they are only Jews" so what....

(11)
Sheila,
June 25, 2014 8:18 AM

Alan Dershowitz is nobody's fool.

Thank you, Alan Dershowitz. Perfectly put, and with the appropriate anger. Europe and its millennia of vileness towards Jews is simply the same as it ever was.

Thank you for allowing your readers to send your article everywhere, which is exactly what I am going to begin doing NOW.

The eternal question is why, or is it what? In the book, “Why the Jews?” Dennis Prager and Joseph Telushkin included these words: “IT IS JUDAISM THAT BROUGHT THE CONCEPT OF A GOD-GIVEN UNIVERSAL MORAL LAW INTO THE WORLD—THE JEW CARRIES THE BURDEN OF GOD IN HISTORY (AND) FOR THIS HAS NEVER BEEN FORGIVEN.”The Reverend Edward H. Flannery, National Conference of Catholic Bishops. In my 73 years on this planet, it has been my experience that people wish that there were no ultimate Deity that they could act as they pleased, that they could return to the days when they were pagans and had never heard of GOD!Had those miserable Hebrews just have kept their mouths shut, all would be well. People could rape, pillage, steal, and perform every form of lechery imaginable WITHOUT FEELING THE SLIGHTEST TWINGE OF GUILT.But no, those people not only felt their guilt, but had to SHARE it with our ancestors who used to run around worshipping rocks and statues and other things they called gods. And now we’re stuck with it! People, that is exactly what Hitler wanted, a return to paganism. No guilt about anything which is why he had millions of us slaughtered. His followers wanted exactly the same thing and that is why they still hate us.The baloney that we rejected their Jesus is not the reason for their hatred; it is the fact that we Jews are the source of the gentile’s guilt is the reason for their unrelenting hatred. Even self-hating Jews are pagans in their black hearts, may Hashem forgive them.

(9)
Basya,
June 25, 2014 2:50 AM

Thank you....

for the clarity of thought, the fearless honesty, the sanity.....

(8)
Rafael,
June 24, 2014 9:36 PM

The Tora says only G-d gives the blessings and administers the punishments

In the the Bible it is very clear that the greatest punisher and blesser of the Hebrew people is G-d. G-d punishes Israel by empowering its enemies. It is very clear. From a purely materialistic point of view , there IS a big difference between a Zionist and a Jew. You can be pro Zionist and be Jew or Gentile. You can be Anti Zionist and be Jew or Gentile. The pro Zionist movement was attractive to Europeans because it stopped the terrorist attacks , bombings and assassinations conducted by Irgun and later the Stern Gang in the 1930's and 40's. Israel would also serve at the Middle Eastern outpost to European and U.S oil interests. On the flip side Standard Oil and other U.S and European companies had made sweet deals with the Arabs . In Washington it is the American companies that lobby on behalf of Arab and oil interest. As far as Stein and Toblas and their dealings with the Gestapo, Abrahim Stern tried twice to strike a deal with Hitler in an effort to depose the British from Palestine. A clear example of Zionist crazed cognition over Jewish spirituality. Zionism is not a conspiracy . There is certainly legal private funding sent to Israel. There are areas on Long Island that could be considered Zionist cells with substancial fund raising capabilities however they are not. That distinction goes to the Muslims . Why Palestine? The religious answer is that it is ground zero for Armageddon . The material answer is its costing a gabazillion dollars to keep Israel afloat and keep the oil business content. Financing Israel AND Israel's enemies is a paradox and an economic disaster. Chinese, Japanese, German ,Arab etc have invested and infiltrated the American economy and influenced politicians . There are strange bedfellows behind closed doors and the chess pieces are not being moved by the usual players. Europe and the U.S don't hate Israel or Zionism...It's just didnt turn out to be a money maker

(7)
Carol,
June 24, 2014 9:08 PM

Anti-Zionism

Perhaps my biggest gripe are those who say that "...Jews didn't exist in Israel until after the Holocaust" and other such lies. There was always a Jewish presence in Israel, dating back to biblical times. There are ancient Jewish artifacts that clearly prove this. Even Christians who acknowledge that Jesus was Jewish have the audacity to say this. The truth is, that Jews themselves were exiled from their own land by Greeks, Romans, Turks, Syrians, ...the list goes on and on. Why is it that Jews are condemned from "returning" to their own homeland when in fact many of the Palestinians who lived in Israel came there within the last few generations, from other Arab lands? Obviously the BDS movement denies this and continues their campaign of hate.

(6)
Yaffa, Jerusalem,
June 24, 2014 4:32 PM

Dershowitz Article on Anti-semitismj

Send this article around, and around, and around until your computer crashes. Send it to your local newspapers, to all Jewish media (they need it even more than the gentiles!), to your relatives and friends. Tthen let them try to tell us we're paranoid.

(5)
Andy,
June 24, 2014 3:58 PM

Brilliant

Professor Dershowitz does well in showing that the passage of time has done little to lessen the millenial hatred of Jews in Europe. The new generation of Jew haters is due in no small part to the influence of Muslims, whose numbers are increasing; all while the church continues to shrink in the midst of soulless secularism. Not that the church was ever a friend, quite the opposite. Are there any voices of support and defense of Jews among Europeans? I ask this myself as a faithful Noahide. The creep of Jew hatred from the Left is starting to be felt here in America. And it's no small thing for Professor Dershowitz, a proud liberal (speaking with respect, not critical), to identify that Jew hatred to be found among those on a similar ideological spectrum, albeit an extreme end.

(4)
victorio,
June 24, 2014 3:28 PM

It's all about power.

For hundreds upon hundreds of years, the Jews of Europe have been robbed, beaten, tortured, and murdered mainly because they lacked power. They were an easy mark. Their perpetrators did not fear retribution. Today, the nations of Europe should be focusing their hate against muslims who refuse to assimilate, who plot against the establishment authorities, who demand their own justice system and more. But the Europeans, these centuries-old-bullies, fear the physical reaction of these muslims -- and so concentrate their swagger against the Jews. And their hateful attitudes regarding Israel? They simply can't accept the fact that the Jews now have a powerful military presence -- so unable to physically assault the Jews of that nation, they demean Israel in any and every way possible.

(3)
Anonymous,
June 24, 2014 2:23 PM

It's not new anti-Semitism

It's not new anti-Semitism, nor is it old, nor is it more nor is it less. It is the same. The only difference, is while it was, is and sadly will always be, there seem to be more facilitators for it than before. More than that, we seem to tolerate it. . The question is,how to fight it? Just as Israel haters want to boycott Israel, why do Jews go to Europe? Why do they go to Germany? There was a 500 year excommunication from Spain from 1492-1992, and none for Germany? How can anyone step foot in that place? So many Jews own Mercedes and BMW's and Audi's. Yes, they make a great car. They also made concentration camps and gas, that murdered our people. ;Yes, it's not the same Germany, but if it could happen in that country, and all over Europe, we should not honor them. If we Jews just continue to act like it's okay, and give these countries our money,and set ourselves up to be harmed by them, they will continue. We should say ENOUGH! We don't have to go to Europe, which is mainly soaked with Jewish blood. All you see are monuments and museums in memory of the Jews lost in the Holocaust. It is not worth the trip!

Susan \Popkin-Wilcox,
June 25, 2014 1:34 AM

I agree with every single word you have said. I would never step foot in Germany or buy a German car. My father served in WWE2. He was an army doctor and was there in 1945 when they liberated Bergen-Belson. Antisemitism will never end. never.

(2)
Fred,
June 24, 2014 2:06 PM

re: European anti Semitismus

Europe with the influx of the new agresive Muslim "migrant"is encouraged to continue its anti Semitic stance. Being complicit in the mass murder of its Jewry it feel again emboldened not to give the left over Jews a sense of safety. The church has to answer for this also as they were as complicit also.

(1)
Anonymous,
June 23, 2014 4:54 PM

Good article, though not only in Europe - Australia, new Zealand any better re Israel bashing? I don't think so. One query though : Czech Republic and no antisemitism?? what happened to the Slansky et co trials? Pure antizionist and antisemitic, good old lefti wing antisemitism. And if I recall correclty, Czechs now and again had anti Jewish and anti German progroms in Praha. And Czech Jews informed me how non Jewish Czechs resent that Jews are being restituted property - no antisemitism there is also well and alive. Its part of the myth which the Czech government carefully nurtures. Why, not so long ago, Kafka was on the forbidden list, not so much coz he is Jewish, but spoke German.. This year for the first time a few government officials acknowledged that Czechs too collaborated and assisted Nazis.A small start.